as in oblique
running in a slanting direction
the leaning tower of Pisa is a popular tourist attraction in Italy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in direction
a prevailing or general movement or inclination
the news media are often accused of having liberal leanings
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in tendency
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
despite what his athletic leanings might suggest, he was actually a very lazy kid
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tilting
to set or cause to be at an angle
just lean the ladder against the tree and climb up it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tending
to show a liking or proneness (for something)
the family's diet leans toward greasy food
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in relying
to place reliance or trust
you can always lean on me if you need help
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of leaning
Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
Is there tension in the in-law political leanings?
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
The key to delicious sips in the fall is leaning into the local ingredients of the season.
—Essence, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leaning
Noun
In the years since, researchers found, the group maintained smooth relations with the government as its more than 1,000 chapters nationwide encompass Egyptians of all political leanings.
—Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
Is there tension in the in-law political leanings?
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
Despite broader challenges, designers are leaning into joy — through color, embellishment and playful confidence.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
The key to delicious sips in the fall is leaning into the local ingredients of the season.
—Essence, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leaning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaning
Adjective
-
Else’s oblique ambient punctu ated with her Kate Bush and Heart.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Zach Tom, a star offensive lineman for Green Bay, went down just one play in with an oblique injury.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
With both teams aiming to avoid a 1–3 start, this game presents an opportunity for one to gain momentum and establish a positive direction for the rest of the season.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Don’t pull over in the roundabout Roundabouts with a single lane of traffic in each direction are fairly simple – yield to traffic in the roundabout, wait for a gap in traffic and go through, Bryson said.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
One of the issues Bayandir had had this season is his tendency to not parry the ball to the sides.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
However, leaders can have a tendency to try to optimize inefficient processes with shiny new tech instead of questioning their existence.—
Mike Hoffman,
Fortune,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lifting the controller and swinging it swiftly down hammers steel at Atsu’s family forge, gently pulling the trigger urges a campfire’s tendrils higher, while tilting it this way and that lowers mushrooms further into that fire for cooking.—
Alyssa Mercante,
Rolling Stone,
25 Sep. 2025
-
In finance, insurance, and professional and business services, employers are tilting toward experienced hires and a falling share of postings requiring less than three years’ experience.—
Jennifer Moss,
Fortune,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Ultimately, with midterms tending to have lower turnout than presidential elections, Newsom and AOC may be able to bring out enough young progressives to pass partisan redistricting.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
26 Sep. 2025
-
While there are a few male employees at Olta, most everything — from tending the crops to distilling the liquid to bottling it up — is done by women, a rarity in the machismo world of Mexican spirits.—
Allyson Reedy,
Denver Post,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The arrival of ChatGPT in November 2022 arguably marked a new phase where retail investors could directly query an AI model for stock picks rather than relying on pre-programmed algorithms.—
Benj Edwards,
ArsTechnica,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Instead of relying on the conventional approaches of building larger devices or generating stronger magnetic fields, Type One Energy focused on optimizing the physical shape of the stellarator itself to control this turbulence.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Long before the clock almost expired on the Packers, there was yet another special teams blunder that turned the tide on a game seemingly destined for a blowout.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Rather than fighting this inevitable tide, Köhler closely examines the subject without didacticism, filtering it through a passive-aggressive relationship drama, until only its most potent ingredients remain.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Redford also shared that despite his inclination to public service, his ambitions were not political.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
-
After launch, the craft was placed into a polar orbit roughly 230 to 236 miles (370 to 380 kilometers) in altitude at an inclination of roughly 97 degrees.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaning. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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